Changeable sign



March 21,, 1950 s. J. GIANELLONI, JR 5 9 CHANGEABLE SIGN Filed Jan. 11, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SCHGER SPEED LEMH' IO M. 0

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Patented ar. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to signs and more particularly to changeable signs such as signs which are used to control the speed of traffic, the parking of cars or other traffic regulations in certain areas during short time intervals during the day.

Many signs are obtainable which will meet the requirements of one particular time period but which must be replaced by another sign when that period has passed. This requires the removal of one sign and its replacement by another whenever conditions so demand thereby involving much time and labor and duplication of display facilities.

This invention overcomes such difficulties by providing a sign which may be changed readily to handle any condition likely to arise without removing the sign display facility or providing duplicate display facilities.

A primary object of this invention resides in the provision of a changeable sign designed so that each change covers some different contingent and may be readily and easily made.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of indicia bearing, pivotal members which align with other pivotal indicia bearing members to form a sign conveying a message to an observer.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a sign display facility having a common vertical axis about which several pivotal indicia bearing members revolve.

A still further object of this invention resides in the provision of individual locking means on the respective pivotal members of a changeable sign.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of standard and frame members of novel construction design to support a plurality of indicia bearing members.

Other objects will appear from a reading of the following description and appended claims in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention embodying a plurality of pivotal indicia bearing members.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view showing a pivotal member in an intermediate displaced position.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view in which a pivotal member has been completely revolved to it operative position.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a partial sectional view on an elongated scale taken on line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view partially in section, of the frame member of Figures 1 to 5.

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on line 1-4 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a front view of the basic indicia bearing member forming a part of the sign of Figures 1 to 7.

Figure 9 is an elevational View of one side of a pivotal member of the sign of Figures 1 to 7.

Figure 1D is an elevational view of the opposite side of the pivotal member shown in Figure 9.

Figures 11, 12, 13 are elevational views of additional pivotal members used in the sign of Figures 1 to '7 With continued reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views to indicate the same parts, numeral l5 generally designates the sign of the present invention. Sign l5 consists of a standard t6, a frame member H, a basic indicia bearing member I8 and pivotal indicia bearing member l9 supported by a substantially conical base member 2| constructed of either a relatively heavy material such as cast iron or a sheet metal cone filled with concrete. Base 2| acts as an anchor for sign l5 and has a shaft 22 fastened to the top thereof as by welding or any other suitable means.

Shaft 22 forms a part of standard It and is provided with a relatively short portion 23 of reduced diameter (Figure 6) forming a shoulder 25. Frame I1 has a hole 21 centrally located in its lower horizontal member 28 through which reduced portion 23 passes to support lower frame member 28 on shoulder 25 thereby holding frame member I! in place. Frame H is more rigidly held in place by means of a shaft or rod 29 which passes through a hole 3| centrally located in the upper horizontal member 32 of frame Ill and is seated in a bore in the reduced end 23 of rod 22. Rod 29 also serves as the pivot shaft for pivotal members I9 as will be presently pointed out.

Frame l! consists of four members 28, 32 and 33 of substantially channel shape in cross section but having one leg 34 thereof shorter than the other leg 35. The four members are secured together at the corners by welding or any other suitable means.

Two rectangular members 31 having holes 38 therein are fastened by welding or any other suitable means between legs 33 and 34 of the lower horizontal frame member 28 so that the top of plate 31 is flush with the edge of leg 34 for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described.

Member l8 has ears 39 centrally located at the top and bottom edge and extending forwardly of the face thereof. Ears 39 are provided with holes through which rod 25 passes. The bottom car 39 acts as a bearing surface. One face of member I 8 is provided with printed indicia which in itself does not transmit a visual message but is so designed that the indicia on each half thereof cooperates with the indicia on one side of a rotatable member 59 to transmit a visual message to an observer. Member Hi slopes backward on either side of its longitudinal center so that the rotatable members 19 and the aligned half of stationary member it will be more nearly in the same plane when the rotatable members are in their various positions.

Rotatable members l9 have ears ii formed thereon in staggered relationship with each other so that when they are positioned for assembly the rod 29 will pass through the openings in each of the ears 4 l as shown in Figures 1 to 3.

On the edges of members 69 opposite the ears 4! and'in the lower corner a latching member ,2 is slidably held by two bent vertically spaced ears 43which may be integrally formed with member i9. Latching member 42 consists of a piece of relatively stiff wire bent in the middle to form a finger grip M and having a straight extension portions 35 extending from either side thereof.

The lower extension 45' is positioned in lower ear Q3, which has already been curled or bent into position, and then the upper ear 33 is bent around the upper extension 45 thus holding latch 42 'slidably in place. When latch is in its down or fastening position, lower extension 55 extends through and below lower ear 33 so as to engage a selected opening 33 in one or the other members 37.

When rotatable members 59 have been properly portioned in frame ii and rod Zilhas been passed through hinge members M, the individual members 49 may be rotated about their common axis until the desired aligning indicia is obtained to produce the appropriate sign. The latches 12 are then placed in theirlocking or down position thereby locking the pivotal members in place.

As seen in Figure l of the drawings two rotatable members if) having proper aligning indicia to create a visual message arefastened in place. If the left hand member I9 is rotated in a counter clockwise direction about axis 29 as shown in Figures 2 and 4., the indicia on the back of the rotated member it will then align with the indicia on the left hand side of the stationary member I8 thereby creating another visual message as seen in Figure 3.

In the same manner the other pivotal members and the other half of the stationary member may be manipulated to create different visual messages and any appropriate signs may be displayed by proper assembly of indicia bearing members l8 and IS.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A changeable sign comprising a supporting base; a frame; a vertically extending shaft for supporting said frame; a rod extending upwardly from said shaft to provide a support for a plurality of indicia bearing members; a basic indicia bearing member supported on said rod; and a plurality of pivotal indicia bearing members adapted to cover a portion only of said basic indicia bearing member pivotally secured to said rod and provided on opposite sides with indicia adapted upon pivotal movement to one or another extreme position to cooperate with indicia on a portion of said basic indicia bearing element or indicia on one side of a companion pivotal indicia bearing element and form a visual sign.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the pivotal members are mounted about an axis centrally located with respect to the basic indicia bearing member.

3.. The. combination defined in claim 1 wherein the pivotal indicia bearing members are provided with individual locking means which are selectively insertable in holes in the frame to secure the pivotal members in a preselected position.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein one-half of said basic indicia. bearing member is in a plane at an obtuse angle to the plane of the other half.

5. A changeable sign for selectively displaying signs of varying nature. at a specified point ac cording to traffic conditions occurring at said point from time to time comprising a base; an upstanding standard adaptedto support a sign frame and provide a mounting for a plurality of indicia bearing members; an open frame mounted on said standard; a n0n-r0tatab1e member having axially spaced means for mounting it on said standardand at least one side provided with two sets of incomplete, unrelated indicia, each set of indicia lying on opposite sides of said axially spaced means; and a plurality of indicia bearing members each having longitudinally spaced means along one edge for pivotally mounting said members on said standard and a set of incomplete, unrelated indicia on each side arranged and adapted to cooperate with one set of indicia on said non-rotatable member or an adjacent rotatable member whereby different complete intelligible signs may be displayed by selectively rotating said pivotal members to align preselected incomplete sets of indicia.

6. The combination defined in claim 5 together with means on said frame'and on the other edge of each of said rotatable members for locking said indicia bearing members in position to display a predetermined sign.

'7 The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said standard comprises a shaft secured to said base and terminating at its upper end in a-hollow reduced section providing a shoulder to support said frame and a rod supported in hollow reduced section and engaging said frame at spaced aligned points to-retain said frame in position on said shoulder.

8. A changeable sign comprising a supporting base; a frame; a basic indicia bearing member and a plurality of pivotal members having printed indicia on both sides and having the printed indicia on their opposite faces arranged to cooperate with the printed indica on said basic indicia bearing'member or one face of another pivotal member when moved to opposite extreme positions to forma sign transmitting a visible message to an observer; said frame and basic indicia bearing member forming a five sided housing for said pivotal members.

9. A changeable sign comprising a supporting base; a frame; a plurality of indicia bearing elements mounted on a common axis and having printed indicia on their faces all but one of said members being rotatable around said common axis and indicia arranged whereby each successive turning of a pivotal member from one extreme position to another extreme position aligns the printed indicia on the exposed surfaces of two of said members to form a sign transmitting a visual message to an observer; said frame and non-rotatable indicia bearing member forming an open sided housing for said rotatable members.

SABIN J. GIANELLONI, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

